Post: #76

I second the gardening suggestion. Even if you don't have a yard to build a raised bed garden in, you can grow a surprising amount of food in containers. You don't even have to go with fancy containers either. I am currently growing some baby carrots in a flat storage container that is only about 8 inches deep. I also have some big grey rectangle storage containers that I am using to grow potatoes in. I have been harvesting a shit ton of tomatoes from everything from hanging baskets to large barrel type containers that I have been growing basil and red romaine lettuce in along side the tomatoes.

A fairly small garden as a raised bed can also grow a surprising amount of food. Mine is about 16 feet by 8 feet and I currently have a 10 by 4 patch of corn. If I get the minimum of 2 ears per stalk then that is 80+ ears of corn. In front of that patch I have a net trellis going down the middle of the garden with pole beans, alaskan peas, and sugar snap peas which are starting to mature. I also have cucumbers growing up trellises in the corners, tomato plants, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, and some sweet and spicy peppers of different varieties. In another raised bed I have mostly the same but also with some bush beans, which I harvested a plastic bag full of the other day, and different types of squash and spinach and some carrots.

I wouldn't want to live on it 24/7, but squash seems to grow insanely well for me. Last year I must have harvested more than 100 pounds of squash and that was only off of about 9 plants. I couldn't eat it or give it away fast enough.

I would also suggest looking into companion planting. There are a lot of plants that you not only plant next to each other to increase their flavor but also their growing rates and to protect from certain pests and diseases.

A great example of this is called 'the three sisters'. It is how native Americans grew their crops and they even looked at it in religious terms.

The three sisters are corn, pole beans, and squash/melons. You plant the corn in rows at least four deep or in a circular pattern about 10 inches apart. Then between the corn you plant the pole beans. and outside of the corn you plant the squash. The squash leaves keep the soil cool and shaded which keeps weeds to a minimum. The pole beans enrich the soil with nitrogen which helps the corn grow fast. And the corn provides a natural trellis for the pole beans to grow up.

Another thing to look into is planting herbs that have medicinal properties. My dad has an aloe plant given to him by a friend. His friend has an aloe plant that is more than 100 years old and he takes cuttings from it and grows them as new plants, which is where my dad got his plant from. Now my dad is taking cuttings from the aloe plant and growing a secondary plant. Aloe is good for burns and other things. I am looking into maybe trying to get some info on medicinal plants, especially stuff that you could grow in a container on the window.

Another thing, depending on where you are and your zone you can garden basically all year round. Here in the fall I will be planting a number of things to grow and some to be harvested right after winter in the spring. Spinach, certain types of peas and beans, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, kale, broccoli, and a number of other plants do better in cooler or cold weather than during the summer heat.

Post: #77

(06-14-2015 06:27 PM)vinman Wrote:  Most people think that being prepared is unnecessary because we have gubment looking out for us. But like kruger41 said, natural disasters can and will occur. In Chicago we've had small earthquakes to the north, and south of us. What will it be like if that New Madrid fault gives the midwest a monster jolt? Or a large winter blizzard takes down power lines, as well as making roads impassable? I'm not looking to fight cannibal mutants on motorcycles in the wasteland. I'm just looking to hold out for a few days until help arrives.

Bro, I did a paper on the New Madrid Fault once in high school. Wish I could find it. I honestly think it was one of the contributing factors to me enlisting. I wanted to be ready with some survival training if it gives us a fair shake.

It's a legitimate, yet unforeseeable danger. Apparently most projections are showing stability for the next 20-50 years...However, it's the kind of disaster that just sort of happens.

Post: #78

(06-21-2015 09:32 PM)General Mayhem Wrote:  Tree growth varies a lot depending on the type and quality of soil. You also need good drainage. Where I'm at in the midwest the soil can be black, sandy, or clay depending on where you are at. If you are lucky you live in an area with good black dirty and things grow easier without a ton of maintenance. Clay tends to be a bitch.

I love my clay soil. It's a bitch to dig and it is a bitch to get plants to thrive in, but once you find plants that can take to it they thrive. Clay isn't hopeless at all, but you have to take care of amending the base soil as you plant and for plants with big enough rootballs offering a layer of loam topsoil amenable to further supplementation as the tree works to stabilize.

Once most tree, shrubs, or perennials take to clay soil though they thrive. All of the challenge though is in the window where their roots need to grow beyond their initial pocket which is where plants fail if you don't work on giving them a solid transition zone. While clay isn't great at drainage, stable clay soil does spectacular moisture retention and controlled release. It's also dense enough that excess moisture gets rejected once it is saturated which prevents root rot.

It's not that clay is bad or even hard. It takes technique. I've got a few varieties of rose bush, including some delicate ass tea roses growing in clay. A lot of other people in town do to. A lot of it boils down to local knowledge and talking to people in the know.

Post: #79

The biggest cataclysmic threat would be EMP from a nuclear blast, rendering anything with an electronic chip useless. I think this is the most likely scenario that would require prepping for.

All the other storm/hurricane scenarios are pretty minor in comparison. I wish banks would insulate their systems from EMP attack but I know they don't. Whatever money you had would be permanently gone.

Post: #80

To add my two cents:

I told La Wifey that were are making all of our investments in gold while maintaining smaller cash savings for immediate investments. I consider this a variation of prepping because every egghead economist is either acknowledging the impending fall of the markets or actively trying to obfuscate it.

Also look into this




Several months ago this armor company appeared on my facebook with a contest they were having and all my military friends raving about it. Their website checks out to provide a nice variety.

I'd recommend their level 4 plates(and side armor) http://www.ar500armor.com/ar500-armor-bo...armor.html
(remember; 'black tip ammo' is either depleted uranium or tungsten steel. That's some amazing armor)

and then buy your carrier set from them or somewhere else or primarily think along these lines http://www.ar500armor.com/banshee-plate-...gbHMP-FPDc

Post: #81

(09-26-2015 11:28 AM)TonySandos Wrote:  To add my two cents:

I told La Wifey that were are making all of our investments in gold while maintaining smaller cash savings for immediate investments. I consider this a variation of prepping because every egghead economist is either acknowledging the impending fall of the markets or actively trying to obfuscate it.

Also look into this




Several months ago this armor company appeared on my facebook with a contest they were having and all my military friends raving about it. Their website checks out to provide a nice variety.

I'd recommend their level 4 plates(and side armor) http://www.ar500armor.com/ar500-armor-bo...armor.html
(remember; 'black tip ammo' is either depleted uranium or tungsten steel. That's some amazing armor)

and then buy your carrier set from them or somewhere else or primarily think along these lines http://www.ar500armor.com/banshee-plate-...gbHMP-FPDc

The only drawback to steel plates is the weight. I have a set of steel plates, and I have a set of ceramic plates. The ceramic plates are costlier, but much easier to wear for long periods.

Post: #82

I like this thread because I believe in the idea of being prepared, but also find it a little silly that some 'preppers' believe that it starts and ends with stockpiling tons of ammo and putting all kinds of tacticool accessories on their shotgun. Some posters here have some good solid (but above all realistic) comments and advice.

I'm at the modest end of things, with some small bill cash on hand for when the ATMs won't work, a kerosene heater and couple gallons for heat, a store of freeze-dried food that will support my family for a week, and I generally try to keep in a good stock of water and canned goods. Firewood and a bunch of construction materials are accumulating in the garage and around the house. In other words, enough to get by in a similar event to the ice storm that hit eastern Canada about 15 years ago.

I'm wondering if anyone practices aquaponics? Basically a top 'tank' containing fish that are easy to keep and reproduce (like tilapia), fed by some very basic, fast growing weeds; effluent from the top tank irrigates and feeds the plants growing in the bottom tank. It seems like the kind of system that could be difficult to set up but once 'balanced' could provide a good steady supply of fish protein.Depending on the depth of the growing medium, I've read that you can grow tomoatoes, beets, carrots, quite a variety.

Post: #83

(09-28-2015 07:49 PM)ed pluribus unum Wrote:  I like this thread because I believe in the idea of being prepared, but also find it a little silly that some 'preppers' believe that it starts and ends with stockpiling tons of ammo and putting all kinds of tacticool accessories on their shotgun. Some posters here have some good solid (but above all realistic) comments and advice.

I'm at the modest end of things, with some small bill cash on hand for when the ATMs won't work, a kerosene heater and couple gallons for heat, a store of freeze-dried food that will support my family for a week, and I generally try to keep in a good stock of water and canned goods. Firewood and a bunch of construction materials are accumulating in the garage and around the house. In other words, enough to get by in a similar event to the ice storm that hit eastern Canada about 15 years ago.

I'm wondering if anyone practices aquaponics? Basically a top 'tank' containing fish that are easy to keep and reproduce (like tilapia), fed by some very basic, fast growing weeds; effluent from the top tank irrigates and feeds the plants growing in the bottom tank. It seems like the kind of system that could be difficult to set up but once 'balanced' could provide a good steady supply of fish protein.Depending on the depth of the growing medium, I've read that you can grow tomoatoes, beets, carrots, quite a variety.

A hard problem of fish keeping is that stability is best buffered by size of the tank. This goes for aquariums all the way to private ponds. Basically the trade off is you can do more work on a smaller system keeping it stable or you can do more work on a big system because it is big.

Back in highschool we had an aquaculture class where we raising fingerling tilapia to eating size and basically just dicked around in the school's greenhouse where the 1000 or so gallon set up was. Tilapia are voracious feeders and generate lots of shit. Aside from dicking around, much of the semester was spent trying to keep the nitrates from the fish waste from knocking the water quality into lethal territory which we struggled with once the first of the fish started reaching about 3 inches in length.

It's an interesting and promising direction, but I kinda garden to save money and effort. The part where integrating aquaculture can add a protein source is interesting for sure, but you'd probably want a climate favorable to keeping the thing outside year round or an outbuilding away from your domicile. The smell of nastiest unmaintained home aquarium can't prepare you for the smell of a food scale aquaculture setup in a closed space.

Post: #84

(09-28-2015 07:49 PM)ed pluribus unum Wrote:  I'm wondering if anyone practices aquaponics? Basically a top 'tank' containing fish that are easy to keep and reproduce (like tilapia), fed by some very basic, fast growing weeds; effluent from the top tank irrigates and feeds the plants growing in the bottom tank. It seems like the kind of system that could be difficult to set up but once 'balanced' could provide a good steady supply of fish protein.Depending on the depth of the growing medium, I've read that you can grow tomoatoes, beets, carrots, quite a variety.

Search function - /thread-46615.html

I don't have a big system, but I do have fresh harvested salad a couple times a week. It's nice.

Tomatoes are a pain in the ass, they require a lot of nutrients to get them to actually bear fruit. Also, I've yet to think of a good way to grow root vegetables. Leafy greens and herbs have worked best for me.

Post: #85

(06-19-2015 08:35 AM)SunW Wrote:  I'm kind of weird here in that I loved listening to my grandparents talk about the Great Depression because it took them by surprise and it was a shocking event. What's odd is how many young people couldn't careless what older people think, even though some of these older people have survived some pretty hard times.

I read this book a few years ago:



It was a fascinating read, because it builds on many oral accounts and speaks of people surviving through family bonds, love and community, rather than, as expected, everyone being in it for themselves. Most respondents speak fondly of the time, because the connections between people were enriched and strengthened through shared hardship, hence the 'myth' of the great depression as being dark and unhappy.

It sums up my current feelings: what use is comfort and the accumulation of things if you can't connect with others? Most of what people think they need to survive are simply wants.

On another note, I picked this book up for a buck at a second-hand bookshop, expecting some dry historical reading. Instead I got an - admittedly simplified but still very useful - instruction manual, covering everything from survival techniques, surveillance, mob dispersal, ambush tactics and silent killing maps.



This is the sort of instruction-heavy book that would have been in a school library when I was a kid, and the mushroom-haired subversion set make sure aren't there now because a child without knowledge and self-sufficiency is easier to control.

As such, any pre-80's book on any topic is bound to have useful information that isn't reliant on modern technology to effect and doesn't expect the reader to be an idiot. From experience, children's science books from the 50's and earlier are incredible, as are any pre-'65 home maintenance manuals.

Post: #86

I am in NYC. With Hurricane Joaquin on its way north I figured I would ask the thread contributors here about getting ready. Although it is likely to miss, anything could happen and it is easy to see the NYPD is going into prep mode (firing up generators and outside lights, fewer officers on the streets now so that hey can pull double shifts later).

Historical situation: The neighborhood I am in was flooded during Sandy. Not my apartment, but my building and entire block (and many blocks around) were flooded. Lost electricity for 5 days, heat/hot water for 30 days. Never lost gas or water.

This time I would be taking care of myself, my GF and a 100lb dog.

Current supplies/plan:
Water - 10 clean gallons, so 1 gallon per day for each of us for a little more than three days. In addition, time to fill up the bathtub with water to flush the toilet.

Food - good for 3-4 days (human). During Sandy, the mobile food kitchens were hard to find 48 hours later, easy to find 72 hours later and everywhere after that. None of the mobile kitchens brought dog food, however, so I am stocked up for 2 weeks.

Fuel - I have a grill, 1 bag of charcoal now and planning to buy another over the weekend.

Firearms and bodyarmor - none, planning to be inside at night (the lawlessness of downtown Manhattan after dark during Sandy is an untold story). Even if I am outside after sunset, a strong and health guy with a 100lb dog doesn't look like easy prey, I never had any problems.

Currency - $300 cash, mostly large bills, need to pick up $1's

Rx - none for me or dog, GF has birth control and refill for regular med she takes.

First aid - normal stuff an apartment has.

Batteries - set on AAA, AA and D.

Communication - plan to keep both cell phones at 100% if the hurricane is rolling in. During Sandy I made a mistake and didn't set up a communication chain, every time I turned on my phone I would waste battery power getting 20-30 text messages asking if I am OK. This time I plan to give info to a relative, let her update everyone.

I have a battery powered radio for mass communication.


If you cats see anything obvious I missed, I have all weekend to get ready.

Post: #87

I would recommend more food, and water storage. Not just for you, but for some people that are close to you. Nothing spreads good will better in a pinch. A little bit can go a long way further down the road.

Post: #88

I've noticed that a lot of these survival food companies offer products with a shelf life of around 15 years if dried. That's very good for the average consumer. I plan on buying the 1 month for 3 adults supply from one website. That covers our needs, plus some extra.

Post: #89

A USB battery pack or three is extremely useful for day to day, travel, and emergency situations.

Your smartphone can be crucial since it has so many potential uses even without cell service, like a notepad or flashlight, but you always need a way to charge it.

Post: #90

(06-19-2015 08:20 AM)SunW Wrote:  Anyone here with experience growing trees that produce food, like apple trees, etc? I'm trying to think of some plants that can produce a large amount of food within 10-15 years from being planted, but that also don't need too much water (that could be grown in the Midwest).

So far:
- Electronic well and hand pump (pure manual) well.
- Can produce all of my own electricity to power the refrigerator, well, and freezer. But that's it.
- 8 1000 gallon storage containers for water; 6 of them full.
- Livestock.

I'm working on a system that will allow me to collect rain water and store it easier. I'd like to eventually store enough water to last two decades of moderate use for myself and the animals.

http://www.starkbros.com/

Fruit Trees, Nut Trees, Berries Bush and Vine, Garden Supplies

A country prepper paradise and cornucopia...

Post: #91

(10-01-2015 11:46 PM)Nolecbo Wrote:  I am in NYC. With Hurricane Joaquin on its way north I figured I would ask the thread contributors here about getting ready. Although it is likely to miss, anything could happen and it is easy to see the NYPD is going into prep mode (firing up generators and outside lights, fewer officers on the streets now so that hey can pull double shifts later).

Historical situation: The neighborhood I am in was flooded during Sandy. Not my apartment, but my building and entire block (and many blocks around) were flooded. Lost electricity for 5 days, heat/hot water for 30 days. Never lost gas or water.

This time I would be taking care of myself, my GF and a 100lb dog.

Current supplies/plan:
Water - 10 clean gallons, so 1 gallon per day for each of us for a little more than three days. In addition, time to fill up the bathtub with water to flush the toilet.

Food - good for 3-4 days (human). During Sandy, the mobile food kitchens were hard to find 48 hours later, easy to find 72 hours later and everywhere after that. None of the mobile kitchens brought dog food, however, so I am stocked up for 2 weeks.

Fuel - I have a grill, 1 bag of charcoal now and planning to buy another over the weekend.

Firearms and bodyarmor - none, planning to be inside at night (the lawlessness of downtown Manhattan after dark during Sandy is an untold story). Even if I am outside after sunset, a strong and health guy with a 100lb dog doesn't look like easy prey, I never had any problems.

Currency - $300 cash, mostly large bills, need to pick up $1's

Rx - none for me or dog, GF has birth control and refill for regular med she takes.

First aid - normal stuff an apartment has.

Batteries - set on AAA, AA and D.

Communication - plan to keep both cell phones at 100% if the hurricane is rolling in. During Sandy I made a mistake and didn't set up a communication chain, every time I turned on my phone I would waste battery power getting 20-30 text messages asking if I am OK. This time I plan to give info to a relative, let her update everyone.

I have a battery powered radio for mass communication.


If you cats see anything obvious I missed, I have all weekend to get ready.

Amazing how many useful solar panel sized chargers and devices now available at LL Bean and on Amazon...

I have a Sears die hard portable battery pack for emergency car battery boosting with a compressor and 2 usb and 2 Cig Lighter 12V outlets and 2 AC 120v inverter outlets that I keep charged - also getting a 12v battery solar panel that will charge it within 8 to 16 hours of direct sunlight, bought a Solar powered Cell phone reserve USB battery that does a nice job recharging each of my cell phones to fully charged, an LL Bean Model 97470R solar charged mini lantern with a Dynamo hand crank and I recently got an LL Bean (Local Nashua NH LL Bean outlet store) Eton SolarLink FR370 Solar Charging multiband radio with back up hand crank dynamo and an emergency flashlight - am fm weather band radio with Digital Alarm clock and weather alert alarms - was orignally $79 marked down to $25 at the outlet shop works great and can be charged off of the Die hard portable power pack USB and when fully charged has a smart phone/tablet Solar USB charging outlet. Also have an extra Solar Powered or hand crank flashlight I have around someplace...

I am looking at land in western Tax Free shall issue Gun Carry New Hampshire Country side to build a Log Lodge Cabin AirB&B for future Hurricane Sandy survivors that also doubles as an Ebay barn full of old junk (antiques) I buy for cash from locals and sell online to nostalgic folks who want real quality old stuff and willing to pay for it to the tune of a 3 or 4 times markup. NH Yankees an independent lot and not much into anything besides Uncle Henry's trading weekly. Sometimes best to find a likeable town and drive around looking for 4 sale signs 50+ acres etc.... even an old overgrown farm with lots of maple trees is a tappable cash flow-er.

Due to federal monkeying around with milk regs and subsidies most formerly profitable small family New England Dairy farmers have been put out of business and their old farms and lands can be bought for much cheaper than a city condo Boston or NYC... Imagine 100+ acres and an old farm house and barn for a quarter mill or so. And in NH they have done one smart thing - if you keep your land in commercial agricultural use - Tree farm, Maple Farm, Apple Farm, Berries and Nuts, Community Access Farm green houses etc etc you can put your land and building into "continued use" which locks in a low rate property tax versus high residential property taxes.

NH Chronicle TV magazine did a segment on a truly amazing business in West Tax Free NH in Antrim north of Keene where Keene State Marxist Socialist SJW "Teachers" college is and about 10 miles for the we will tax the crap out of you Vermont border - home to New Hampshire unknown $12 Billion Dollar man lives - yes richer than Trump owns the largest privately owned (One Shareholder) groceries distribution company in the entire USA is HQ'ed so you will eat in Keene - anyway the Antrim Business was an old Maple Syrup farm and now export Company that has grown into a major NH Exporter - the old Yankee that inherited the farm has basically tubed up every maple tree on the property even the ones on cliffs that were too dangerous to tap when he was a kid and all the taps come down to a holding tank - looks like a fire hose going into the tank measured in gallons per minute into - wait you won't believe it instead off gas or old wood fired boiler to slowly boil off the water - this innovative yankee has it pumped into a specialized Reverse Osmosis separator to separate the Purified Maple Water (Preppers unlimited supply of potable water) from the Pure maple Syrup which he bottles and boxes and ships by the crate load to Japan, China and Europe where they have developed a craving for New England maple Syrup...

Oh yeah - it is about a Three hour Drive north of Metro NYC so a couple dozen parking spots for an RV AirB&B with clean water tanks, Solar Electric and biodegradeable sewage digesters and grey water tank hookups/pumpouts pays your property taxes in about a month and allows you to be an Agro Tourismo destination where visitors come up in their RVs to help work on the farm for fun like the Tuscans do it in Italia. They also become a built in community in case TSHTF. I would of course have a supervised (by me) firing range for Archery, Cross Bows and varmint firearms for all sizes and types of varmints skunks, raccoons (rabies), woodchucks, coyotes, deer, moose, bear, marauders etc.

A wood miser etc portable saw mill would also be another source of "community" income:
http://forestry.about.com/od/portamills/..._mills.htm

Also one of the most successful funding campaigns on indiegogo are now ready for purchase - the Flow Hive honey mini factories of natural organic honey by the pound jars full...

Honey and Maple syrup are valuable sweet healthy organic cash crops you can barter for just about anything else you need - thinking in and out of the box - honey box that is...

http://www.honeyflow.com/

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/flow-...-beehive#/

Yes you read it right this Indiegogo campaign so far has raised $12,481,780 USD worldwide. So is honey in demand globally - you bet it is! And now a super economical way to produce it - click on the link and watch the short 5 minute youtube video - works both in Urban, Suburban and Rural areas.

My plan is to buy two full hives and then the flow panels and keys and tubes and make my own boxes as hard wood is nearly free in NH.

Like I said thinking in and out of the box - each flow panel is good for about three Kilos or more a month when bees really active!

With wild local disease resistant forest honey bees this is nearly pure profit after the initial capital investment.

Post: #92

(09-29-2015 03:52 PM)AnonymousBosch Wrote:  As such, any pre-80's book on any topic is bound to have useful information that isn't reliant on modern technology to effect and doesn't expect the reader to be an idiot. From experience, children's science books from the 50's and earlier are incredible, as are any pre-'65 home maintenance manuals.

I picked up an old copy of this years ago. Back in the 60s a college professor and his students wrote it to preserve the old culture of the Southern Appalachian people.

It covers how to butcher everything from squirrel to black bear, how to build cabins, how to plant crops, basically everything you would need to know.

Post: #93

(10-01-2015 11:46 PM)Nolecbo Wrote:  I am in NYC. With Hurricane Joaquin on its way north I figured I would ask the thread contributors here about getting ready. Although it is likely to miss, anything could happen and it is easy to see the NYPD is going into prep mode (firing up generators and outside lights, fewer officers on the streets now so that hey can pull double shifts later).

Historical situation: The neighborhood I am in was flooded during Sandy. Not my apartment, but my building and entire block (and many blocks around) were flooded. Lost electricity for 5 days, heat/hot water for 30 days. Never lost gas or water.

This time I would be taking care of myself, my GF and a 100lb dog.

Current supplies/plan:
Water - 10 clean gallons, so 1 gallon per day for each of us for a little more than three days. In addition, time to fill up the bathtub with water to flush the toilet.

Food - good for 3-4 days (human). During Sandy, the mobile food kitchens were hard to find 48 hours later, easy to find 72 hours later and everywhere after that. None of the mobile kitchens brought dog food, however, so I am stocked up for 2 weeks.

Fuel - I have a grill, 1 bag of charcoal now and planning to buy another over the weekend.

Firearms and bodyarmor - none, planning to be inside at night (the lawlessness of downtown Manhattan after dark during Sandy is an untold story). Even if I am outside after sunset, a strong and health guy with a 100lb dog doesn't look like easy prey, I never had any problems.

Currency - $300 cash, mostly large bills, need to pick up $1's

Rx - none for me or dog, GF has birth control and refill for regular med she takes.

First aid - normal stuff an apartment has.

Batteries - set on AAA, AA and D.

Communication - plan to keep both cell phones at 100% if the hurricane is rolling in. During Sandy I made a mistake and didn't set up a communication chain, every time I turned on my phone I would waste battery power getting 20-30 text messages asking if I am OK. This time I plan to give info to a relative, let her update everyone.

I have a battery powered radio for mass communication.


If you cats see anything obvious I missed, I have all weekend to get ready.

I would get a total of 30 gallons of clean water. You never know what will happen. Plus, don't forget that your dog needs water and your water isn't just for drinking, it's for eating.

Can all of your food be prepared without heat/electricity? I know you have charcoal, but I don't know the specifics of your apartment. First of all, charcoal creates a carbon monoxide danger if you are cooking indoors. Second, grilling foods alerts neighbors that you have food available and encourages them to come over and take your stuff. You might be better off cooking up a decent sized batch of spaghetti and warming it up (with sauce) in a tin pan heated by a sterno. It would be dull and tiring, but I bet if you cooked 2 or 3 boxes before the storm and set it aside, you could have carbs for 2 days without much additional effort. This would obviously be useful if the mobile food stations don't arrive for 5 days instead of 2. It's less variety, but also a way to stretch supplies. If you don't want to do that, you could cook a batch of rice and keep cold until the power goes out and then reheat it. Think Chinese takeout rice and how long that lasts. What I'm basically saying is, you should have some food pre-cooked before the storm hits so you have less to do and worry about in the days after.

Prescriptions: Perhaps buying some fish antibiotics would be useful. What if one of you somehow became injured during the storm and needed to have something to stave off infection before medical professionals can help.

Fire control:

Do you have a basic fire extinguisher? Obviously you wouldn't be able to stop something large, but a small mistake during this time could leave you vulnerable.

5 Gallon buckets for shitting into. Sorry, hate to say it. Just because you didn't lose sewer last time doesn't mean things will work out this time. I don't know the exact setup of your block/apartment, but if enough sand and debris floods the sewers, it doesn't matter how much water you have in the tub... you might be shitting in a bucket.

Hand sanitizer.

That's what I can think of.

Scan this list for the first 100 things to disappear in a disaster to see if you need anything else from this list on a short term basis:

http://www.thepowerhour.com/news/items_d...rfirst.htm

Post: #94

(10-01-2015 11:46 PM)Nolecbo Wrote:  Fuel - I have a grill, 1 bag of charcoal now and planning to buy another over the weekend.

1 bag is good for 2, maybe 3 meals. Google or search Youtube for efficiency stoves, they distribute heat more evenly and make your fuel supplies last longer. Plan your grill cooking efficiently and you can fire it once a day to cook all of that days meals, and use the efficiency stove (can be a can inside bigger can with refractory or a simple concrete/sand mixture lining the inner can) to boil water and supply some heat.

2 bags of charcoal plus a small cord of wood should be enough for up to a week this way.

Post: #95

As much as most people would have a hard time adjusting to the change, I'd suggest dried meals.

In the worst scenarios, you can crush the contents of each package to a chewable size to pour into you mouth. If it's still too much to stomach for you, add water to create a thin paste. You don't need heat them. The meals come sanitary, don't involve hand-to-mouth eating(another sanitation hazard) and save on perishable materials. To take a cheaper route, you can do this with any dry good that has a long shelf life by mixing your own when it's time to use them. Most emergency foods go for the average, equivalent price of a full meal in the united states. Actual military ration entrees can be bought for cheaper.

Post: #96

(10-01-2015 11:46 PM)Nolecbo Wrote:  Water - 10 clean gallons, so 1 gallon per day for each of us for a little more than three days. In addition, time to fill up the bathtub with water to flush the toilet.

Good list overall and glad that you didn't get hit this time. One tweak you could add is to get a big plastic liner for the tub. You don't want to lose it all while you're sleeping because the stopper leaked. I have two of these:

https://www.waterbob.com/Welcome.do;jses...8B15300062

Post: #97

I will check that book out! Sounds interesting! This is a cool thread. I have so much on my plate at the moment it's ridiculous.

I just found this event looks cool:

https://carolinareadiness.com/pages/events

I'm surprised this thread isn't getting more love. Considering how bad things can get in America it wouldn't hurt to be more proactive. I personally am learning basic first aid and will be getting firearm training just to get basics down.

(05-13-2015 10:11 AM)Moto Wrote:  Most of us have read Neil Strauss' "The Game," but equally good is his book "Emergency." It's all about how he learned survivalist skills and became a prepper himself.

I have a "bugout bag." In addition to things mentioned above, some gold and/or silver coinage is good to have. You won't have everything you need, and it's good to have things to barter with. Even when paper money is useless, everyone but the most desperate/famished of people will value precious metal.

It really depends on your climate, but you should be able to carry everything with you that you need to survive. The more skills you have, the less you need to carry.

Scope out a place in the wilderness that you would go to, if you live now in an urban area. You could even make a hidden cache of items to find in your spot. Some things could be organic seeds to plant, water purifying tablets, magnifying glass (to make fire), slingshot (bullets will eventually run out, and you want to kill small game silently).

Post: #98

Some general suggestions on prep:

Always keep a few extra USB thumb drives handy and have important documents, maps, etc. backed up on them. If you scan as much info as possible, you will reduce your paper stack, which is helpful if you have to leave in a hurry and can't stick a file cabinet in your vehicle. Of course, it is better to have somethings that are offline/don't require electricity, but at least consider this as an option.

I've seen a lot of people mention stocking up on ammo. Of course, having 5,000 rounds of ammo is good, but it would be better if you had 4,000 rounds and at least 1,000 rounds of practice in at the range, especially shooting under duress drills. It is hard to shoot accurately enough in a rested position, try doing it when running and gunning. You will need the practice to shoot well. Burn some of your ammo so you have the skills needed to defend yourself if God forbid you were ever in a firefight.

Post: #99

Hell of a bump, but welcome.

Post: #100

HAHA!

I'll take that as a compliment! Not exactly taking advantage of the decline but more get ready for the decline. Get a 6 year head start and pick up some new skills. Like I said I hope people find value in this thread.

TIL about trauma kits, old school books about butchering, active shooter scenarios, and gun range schools.

(11-12-2018 10:04 PM)Leonard D Neubache Wrote:  Hell of a bump, but welcome.